A young argan forest found along the Atlantic coast between Essaouira and Agadir, Morocco. The species, ‘Argania-Spinosa’, is an 80-million-year-old tree, the population of which is commonly understood to have been devastated throughout North Africa during the last ice age. The Souss valley, nestled between the Atlantic coast, the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas mountain ranges however, was able to provide a perfect shelter and optimum conditions for the survival of the species. This exceptionally distinctive biosphere was consequently declared a UNESCO reserve in 1998. The trees have an average lifespan of around 200 years.